Rapid developments and increasing competition in the retail banking landscape require greater need for closer supervision and monitoring from industry regulators to protect the rights of the consumers.

An Hyo Ryul, general manager of retail business development at Shinhan Bank, believes the newly launched mobile-based digital banking platform Sunny Bank will allow the bank to digitalise more retail banking assets, effectively monetise online channels, and operate more seamlessly in the online-to-offline space.

2016 saw a rapid progress in disruptive technologies bringing a paradigm shift in the thought process of institutions towards technology adoption and transformation. What will be the top technology priorities and trends in the banking industry in 2017?

China’s insurance industry is undergoing transformation as the authorities try to reign in the speculative practices of some players.

Access to mobile banking in the Philippines remains exclusive and conventional despite a high mobile phone penetration rate. PayMaya is enjoying some success in penetrating the mobile banking space by reaching out to the "unbanked" segment, which makes up two-thirds of the population.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is driving the country’s banks to move to digital platforms through its “Bank 3.0” vision as banks have an urgent need to differentiate themselves in the crowded retail banking market.

Investments and interest in distributed ledger technology have been rising rapidly as new use cases emerge to harness its potential. The technology is nonetheless still at an early stage with many hurdles to cross, possibly five to seven years away from mainstream adoption.

With more than 70% of Southeast Asia being unbanked, fintech possesses tremendous potential to widen financial inclusion and spur economies. Advances in the industry mean more people and companies have the ability to save, borrow and transact. Yet with such a wide and sensitive remit, regulations need to keep pace with the constant innovation.

H.E. Rasheed M. Al-Maraj, governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, in his keynote address during the Middle East & Africa Fintech Forum 2017 discusses the efforts of the central bank to enhance the quality and competitiveness of services in the financial sector through fintech.

Paul Cobban, chief operating officer, technology and operations at DBS Bank, describes the technologies that are making a big impact to the financial services industry.

Chris Skinner, author and fintech commentator, theFinanser.com, discusses the challenges faced by start-up banks in the UK. Aside from getting the right funding and talent, new players should be able to identify how to build their market base to succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

Emmanuel Daniel, founder of The Asian Banker, in a rather straightforward speech to the heads of technology of banks in Singapore outlined why the fintech phenomenon in Singapore is not in any danger of any breakthrough that is innovative or transformational and why Singapore banks cannot afford to be concerned more with themselves than with their customers.

Basel regulators are trying to finalise changes on how to calculate banks’ risky assets. But US and Europe are at loggerheads about what these should look like. After postponing a decision in January, and failing to reach a conclusion in early March, a compromise is proving to be tricky.

Emirates NBD’s efforts towards digitisation have enabled customers to bank with more ease through new account propositions. From Shake n’ Save to Fitness and other new mobile based applications, the bank is putting itself at the forefront of digital services.

PBoC's decision to devalue the Rmb delivered a temporary shock to financial markets, but its longer-term effects may be felt around the globe.